Gravity dumping-truck body



Dec. 6, 192 7.

L. CROOKE GRAVITY DUMPING TRUCK'BODY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1o. l19.24

INVENTOR EON/4R0 (boo/fe f BY A'rro: RNEY Dec. 6, 1927.

L. CROOKE GRAVITY DUMPIN G TRUCK BODY Filed July 1o. 1924 s sneensfsneez 2 l M 1.4.! N

al- D Q O O. O

M. f KFOLU. /llxj wf m.. o O O INVENTOR E0/VARI) C900/fs BY #www w A'ITORNEY D@n s, 1927. I 1,652,000

L. cROoKE GLAVITY DUMPING TRUCK BODY Filed July 10. 1924 3 Sheets-Sneet'3 M INVENTOR E0/WH0 Chao/ff Y BY u 26' f1/umw- ATTORNEYF Y 1n Y operative parts of great simplicity and dura-'- bility,4 the nature of which may be most' Patented Dec. A 6', 1927.

lernfrlrlrgV OFFICE.

. Lnonann cnooxE, or'HAGERsTowN, MABYLAND.

I eaAvI'rY 'murrine-TRUCK BODY.

"appneatibnfned my', 1b, 1924, Aseran no. maar.y

` The invention subjectxof application for Letters APater'lt Vis an improvement V1n gravity dump bodies .for motor trucks,cgen

erally applicable, but-,more especiallyfdesigned for trucks of'y small size, and capable of easy and readyuoperation bythedriver without leaving his"l seat.

i These devices are notv Pbroadly'new,

' myiinprovenients are characterized by novel.construction and arrangement ofthe readily gathered from Vthe description of the drawings which follows, and inwhich Fig. 1 is a view'in elevation of the cornplete truck.v v v,

2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scaleofthe dumping mechanism taken on the line 2-2`of Flg. 1., n

,Fig.. 3 is a rear end view of the truck. Fig. l is' a sidev ,and partsectionalview o thedump controlling mechanism. I

Fig. 5 is a detail side view'oi th'etail gate in one yof its possible positions.

fFg. 6 is a side viewof the dumping body inone of its extremepositions, and

. Fig. 7 is afview .s irnilarljtov Fig. V5 of the tailgaten another of thel possible positions. 'Thetruckis vor may .beiof known and-deF sir'able construction and Irequires ,no :detailed description in view. ofthe .common knowl-` edgeof the art.. The truclibodyL'however,

has secured. to brackets 2attached topp-- posite sides of. the saine,. rocker platesV 3,

kwhich rest upon lower rocker platesltjsev cured, tok thef'sides ofthe frame 5 which, in

v turn,'is secured to the chassis by. U-bolts. These rocker plates are shaped substantially as shownin Fig.. 6, so that any force applied to and tending tolower thel rear end. of the body will move it from its normal position' shown inFig.'Y 1,- towards its ,dump-g in%position,sbown in Fig. 6.

A ver oron the outer sides of rocherk plates 3. are securedwrist plates 7 having raised `stops 8 alongt-heir lower and outer,-v

edgfes. To` said plates 7 atthe points9 .are

flattened `portions 13, the forward and rear ends 0f which form shoulders. kBetween the forward shouldersiand heads 12, there is dispose-d on" each. rod. a relatively sti yhelical buffers) ring 1.5,

A roc shaft ,16r mounted underthe for;

Wardv end ofV the dumping body Vand carries two v.upright arms V1 7 secured at` its ends.

Chains l8iconnect upper points of these arms otherendbeng. secured toV a stud 20 conveniently locatedwithin easy reach ofthe driver..

. with therends of the buffer rods 10and to Secured tothe central part of the rock shafttl is a latch 27, Figs. `2 and 4, which lis connected by a spring 28 with the chassis.

When the truck body is in normal position on the frame this latch is forced back by the projecting edge of theY bod 29, and under the action 'of the spring 28 s ips up over said edge and locks or latches the body against movement. l When, however, it isdesired to dump. thetruck, the driver pulls the chain 19 which :rocks the` shaft-16 and releases the latch 27 from engagement with 29, s0 that the truck is free to be tilted.-

Unlatching a loaded truck in this manner causes it to dump, as whenloade'd the center c ofgravity is in a ositlOn which causes this..

AThe rods ,10 there ore slide-back through the Y theplates 144 and 'hold the bodyin dumping position even after the load is discharged. The carfbod is retained inits position 01,1. the lframe b 't e means' shown in Figs. land et.k Snubbing links 21 are pivotall connected to the points of connection of tierods 10 with the wrist plate pins 9, and to `fixed pivot pins 22 on the frame 5, hence as the rodslO movek rearward andthe body tilts, these snubbing links swing'away from the stops' 8, against which theynormally lie to thefposition vshown `in Fig. 6.l Y

vTo unlatch or release the. tail gate during this oeratio-n, a rigid u right larm V23 is secre to onelof the snub fing links 21, and connected by ,afchain 24 with a pivotedy latch 25, which normally engageswith a pin 26,in the lowerV corner of the tail gate, As the body-tilts, however, the arrn 23 swings forward and causes the chain y24 to pull up thelatch 2.5 and so release the tailgate' When" the body is'in dumping position the parts areintbe relative positionsshown in Fig. G. To restore the body to normal position, therefore, the diiveipulls the chain 19, which raises the ends of barsA and unn locks them :trom the plates 14, whereupon the body by the action of gravity, tiltsorward and pushes the buffer rods back to normal position after the locking shoulders pass through the slots l1.

It will be observed, therefore, that whoa unloaded the center ott gravity oi the body is located at a point which causes the bodyjlto return to .its normal or horizontal position, but when` loaded this" balanceis disturbed and the body has atendeney to` tilt back into dumping position. 1",lhe changent balance, exists because of the shiftot `the pointot Contact between rocker plates 3 and 4. Then the body in a horizontal positiomFigs. l"

i forwardV of the tulerum. llt is only necessary, therefore, for the driver to release the latch 2T for dumping, and to hold the rear ends ot rods l0 up so that the lockingr shoulders pass throiiigh the slots in plates lftwhen restoring'the body to normal position.

The tail board or gate 30 is composed of a single piece 'of sheet steel or other suitable material having,trunnions 31 at its corners. Normally the upper trunnions `or projections are retained by pins 32 between the studs 33, as showninFig, 7, thelowerprojections 26 being adapted tobe held between the studs 34 by the latchjl. In this case chains'B connected tothe body and to the tail board limit the swinger"thelatter as shown in Figd, but when the car is lused` for express matter, the upperttrunnions are withdrawn from between the studs Slalid` the lower projections Q6 are insertedbetween the lower studs`34, and the chains 35, connected to the point 3G on the body which will permit the tail board to lie horizontally` as shown in Fig; 5L i j To the above descriptionbutlittle need be added in explanation oit' t-he nature and purpose of the several parts and their mode of operation.` It will beobservedthat as the body rolls to a dumping position the uprightarms 23 .move with the body, but at a slower rate ot speed than the latch 25, thus maintaining the chain E24 reasonably taut at all times, which therefore releases the gate latch at the proper time.`

for the purpose of keeping the body on its supports during jolting over the roads. i Besides preventing` the body from jumping out of its tracks, these stops tend to prevent either shearing of` the fixed pivot pins 22 and 21 9, or bending of snubbing links now described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A `device of the, class described comprising, in combination, a frame, a body, rocker plates intermediate said body and said frame, a latch for maintaining' said body and said frame in close relation, links, each having one end pivotally connected with said frame and one end pivotally connected with said body, and means adapted to engage portionof said links when said body is eloseto said j frame whereby the relaltive position otsaid bodyjandsaid frame is prevented from being changed when saidh latch is in effect-ive position.` j

i 2. A device ot theelass described comprising, in combination, a frame, a body, "rocker" plates intermediate said body and said fra1ne,rods connected with said body, guide plates on saitl 'l!ia1iie luivmg slotsthrough whiehsald rods may travel longitudi-nallly` ot themselves, said rods being provided wit locking shoulders adapted to engage said guide plates when said body is in dumpin position, swinging arms mounted ou` sait trame, flexible .means connecting said arms' with said rods, and meansfor swinging` said" arms and thereby disengaginp; the locking shoulders ot' said rodstopernnt the forward end of said body to return "to normal posi#` tion from adumpin position.

3. A device of t e class described com-"i prising`,i`incombination, `a `frame, a body, rocker plates intermediate said bod said frame, wrist platessecured tosai `body for maintainingl `said rocker plates in* con.-

tacting relation, links `having their vfront ends pivotally connected to the `Wrist lates les and their rear endspivotally connecte Vwith said frame, and means carried by said wrist-"` plates adapted to contact the lower edges` of said linkswhen said body is in substan-A tially horizontal position so that {onlynor-f` f'iomf maldumping movement of said bod a substantially khorizontal position is missible.

4. A `device ofthe class described com-I prising, in combination, a frame, a bod` mounted thereon and capable of being tilte on `the -frame for dumping, side plates"`se cured to the body, buffer rods pivoted tothe forward ends ot saidside plates, `means for permitting said rods to` move backward'asf thebodyis tilted, links pivotedto ther points of connection `ot said rods. withtheside"V plates and to fixed pivot pins on the frame,

` l an u right arm secured to one ofsaid links, Again the stops 8 on the wrist plates are a tai -gatelatcln anda. chain connectinfr'the upright arm to said latch whereby tilting l of the body will release said latch.

5." A device of the class described` compris! i a link pivoted to the frame at the rear ofV said rocker plates, the forward end Vof the link being pivotally connected with said body, an arm extending from said link, a tail-gate, a Alatch for maintaining said tailgate closed, and means connecting said arm and said latch,V whereby when said body is tilted to ldumpingposition said latchtis displaced.

6. AV device of the class described com` prising, incombination, a frame, a body,

rockerplates intermediate said body and said frame, a link pivotally mounted on said ,e frame andpivotally connected to said body,

a tail-gate, a latch fory Said tail-gate, -and kmeans'intermediate said latch and said link v means for preventing relative displacement of saidA body andsaid frame comprising a plate extending from said body, a link pivotallyl connected to said frame and to said plate, means on said plate adapted to contact said link when said body is in normal position so as to prevent separation of contactingrocker plates, and means forV lockingA said body and said frame together lat theirV forward ends.

8. A device of the class described compris'- ing, in combination, a frame, a body, rocker plates intermediate said body and said frame for Vsupporting said body, and a jump pre- .Y

venting lock including a link pivotally connected to said body and to said frame, and

means carried by said body for engaging said linkV when saidbody is inwnorm'alfposition yclose to said frame whereby relative linearmotion of saidbody to said frame is i prevented.V l

9. A devicel of the class described comprising, in combination, a frame, yav body, rockerV plates intermediate said body and said frame `for supporting said body, and a jump preventing lock including a link pivotally connected to said body .and to saidframe, and

means carried by said body for contacting the under edgeA of said link when said body is in normal position close to said frame whereby saidbody andvsaid frame cannot be separated in a direction substantially perpendicular.

In testimony whereof I hereto aiix my-y signature.

LEONARD CROOKE. 

